PREVALENCE OF HIV AMONG STUDENTS
ABSTRACT
As part of the mixed methods to assess HIV risk among
students of federal polytechnic Nasarawa, a Rapid Diagnostic Test was conducted
to ascertain the frequency of HIV among students of federal polytechnic
Nasarawa. The Rapid Diagnostic Test involved drawing 40 micro liter of blood
the participants and analysistook about 3-5minutes to record the results. A
total of 150 students volunteered anonymously to be tested for HIV infection in
august 2014. Of these, 82 were males and 68 were females. Their ages ranged
below 20 to above 30 (mean age of 10 years old). All of these students were
studying at federal polytechnic Nasarawa. Test rest recorded of HIV infection
among the students. Because HIV infection can sometimes remain undetected,
these results do not necessarily confirm that students are at low risk of
infection Nasarawa. Due to the fact that HIV carries a significant burden of
disease campus repeated survey should be carried out regularly to monitor and
protect the infection among students. In addition, increased awareness of HIV
risk should be intensified to prevent its emergence and spread among these
population.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0
INTRODUCTION
Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) is recognized as the final stage of a viral infection caused by Human Immune-deficiency Virus
(HIV); therefore AIDS is indicative of an underlying cellular immune deficiency. It was
first detected among homosexuals and drug users in the USA in 1981
(Baily et al., 2008). Since then the
disease has now spread to all corners of the world. Two strains of HIV are
recognized by medical experts: HIV-1 (discovered in 1983) and HIV-2 (discovered
in 1986). HIV-1 is generally accepted as the cause of most AIDS cases
throughout the world while HIV-2 was first discovered in West Africa and later
in some Portuguese colonies and Europe and account for the infection in West Africa (Avert, 2007). With the world becoming a
global village and the general mobility of people around the globe the strains
can no longer be geographically delineated.
The origin of HIV/AIDS has been
controversial as the claim that linked AIDS with the development of polio vaccine
from chimp kidney in the Congo
( Hein and Hurst., 2007) has been
debunked. The rebuttal was further confirmed from laboratory investigation published
in Washington Post.
The progression from
infection with HIV to AIDS takes approximately 10 years, although drug
intervention (antiretroviral) that aims at blocking the progression of HIV to
AIDS has been successful in slowing down the progression and ultimately
prolonging the life of infected persons. However, once AIDS is diagnosed a person
usually dies within a year or two thereafter. Infants generally die more
rapidly (Hossain et al., 2006). Since
there is no cure in sight, for now, most people infected with HIV ultimately
progress to AIDS and eventually die. HIV/AIDS has turned out to be the greatest
challenge facing the world today and remains a profound human tragedy and the
most devastating pandemic in human history.
1.1
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
HIV/AIDS pandemic
appears to be devastating every sector of African society and structure.
The
epicentre of the pandemic is located at men and women within the age bracket of
15-49 years, which incidentally constitute the most productive years of any
person. The problem of the pandemic is exacerbated by the ravaging poverty and
virtual collapse of social services (Holmes et
al., 2004).
Multiple factors have
been identified to contribute to the rapid amplification of HIV infections in
Africa, particularly Southern Africa, which
houses over 30% of people infected by the virus in the world. These include (1)
the protracted period that HIV has been in Africa, (2) poverty, which tends to
fan the spread, (3) poor health facilities, (4) epidemic of other STIs, (5)
inadequate access to condoms (and supply of defective condoms) or inconsistent
use of condoms by those involved in risky sexual practice, and (6) sexual
networking, including concurrent and inter-generational sexual relationships.
Decades of attention on condom use and counselling and testing has not produced
any measurable success in Africa (Chen et al., 2007). Recently UNAIDS and her
sister organizations came up to identify lack of male circumcision, the
practice of concurrent sexual relationship and inconsistent
condom use as the major
drivers of the pandemic in Africa. These new
findings then call for a need to develop new strategies to stem the spread of
the virus in Africa. In the absence of a cure
or a vaccine, prevention remains the cheaper option. It calls for a change of
sexual behaviour among Africans. This is not an easy proposition, particularly
for adults who have formed their sex habits. However, prevention intervention
targeting the entire society, not just the youths, is an urgent proposition to
avoid a total mortgage of the African future (Asekun and Oladele, 2009).
Government/NGO
publicity are known to be concentrated in the cities and may not have reached
rural settlements in many parts of Africa because of the limited access to
radio and television, the main organs of publicity. Most of the vulnerable groups,
except probably the city dwellers, may not have benefited from the
enlightenment program of Government.
The wide publicity
given to the use of condom has compromised traditional and religious values of
promoting ‘no sex before marriage’ (i.e. virginity), ‘chastity in marriage’,
and the role of the community and religious formations in the moral upbringing
of the youths. Consequently the need for a fundamental change in our attitude
to sex has been compromised. Governments that bought hook-line-and-sinker into promoting the use of condom as the
main preventive strategy have been proved wrong. The press that has presented
abstinence as an impossible proposition has also not helped matters either. The
pre-eminent premium placed on the use of
Condoms, therefore,
appears misplaced and misleading. The current thinking that circumcision and
minimization of concurrent relationships are keys to stemming the spread of HIV
in Africa, while still promoting abstinence, faithfulness, and consistent and
correct use of condom appears to be the way to go. There are critical moral
issues and traditional African values, which are on trial with the
over-concentration of efforts on the use of condoms to the detriment of
restoring traditional/religious values of preservation of the chastity of the
African youths (Cambell et al., 2010).
1.2 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
This
study will contribute to healthy living by giving orientation to students
studying in the Federal Polytechnics Nasarawa. It will help to proffer solutions
to the problems associated with the mode of transmission, clinical features,
prevention and control of HIV/AID viral infection. It will serve as a reference
material for subsequence research; the finding and recommendation will be a
source of useful information to the people. Public Health awareness agencies on
HIV/AIDS viral infection.
1.3
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
Aim
·
To determine the prevalence of HIV among
students of federal polytechnic Nasarawa
Objectives
·
To determine the prevalence and
distribution of HIV among the students of federal polytechnic Nasarawa.
·
To identify the demographic factors and
other risk factors responsible for the infection.
·
To determine the levels of knowledge,
attitudes, behavior and practice of students.
CHAPTER TWO
2.0
LITERAURE
REVIEW
Human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a disease of the
human immune system caused by infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The term HIV/AIDS represents the entire range of disease caused by the human
immunodeficiency virus from early infection to late stage symptoms (Gupta, 2006). During the initial infection, a
person may experience a brief period of influenza-like illness. This is typically followed by a
prolonged period without symptoms. As the illness progresses, it interferes
more and more with the immune system, making the person much more likely to get
infections, including opportunistic infections and tumors that do not usually affect
people who have working immune systems (Grant et al., 2011).
HIV is transmitted primarily via unprotected sexual intercourse
(including anal and oral sex),
contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.]
Some bodily fluids, such as saliva and tears, do not transmit HIV. Prevention
of HIV infection, primarily through safe sex and needle-exchange programs, is a key strategy to control
the spread of the disease. There is no cure or vaccine;
however, antiretroviral
treatment can slow the course of the disease and may lead to a near-normal life
expectancy (Brown, 2012). While antiretroviral treatment reduces the risk of
death and complications from the disease, these medications are expensive and have
side effects. Without treatment, the average survival time after infection with
HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype.
Genetic research indicates that HIV originated in west-central Africa during the late nineteenth or early twentieth
century. AIDS was first recognized by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) in 1981 and its cause—HIV infection—was identified in the early part of
the decade. Since its discovery, AIDS has caused an estimated 36 million
deaths worldwide (as of 2012). As of 2012, approximately 35.3 million
people are living with HIV globally.] HIV/AIDS is considered a pandemic—a
disease outbreak which is present over a large area and is actively spreading.
HIV/AIDS has had a great impact on society, both as
an illness and as a source of discrimination. The disease also has
significant economic impacts. There are many misconceptions about HIV/AIDS such as
the belief that it can be transmitted by casual non-sexual contact (Hooper,
2009). The disease has also become subject to many controversies involving religion. It has attracted international
medical and political attention as well as large-scale funding since it was
identified in the 1980s.
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